Jeanne DeLaura of Clinton has a story to tell and hopes that by repeating its painful words, that someone can help identify the two dogs that nearly killed her greyhound.
DeLaura, who lives with her family on Pleasant Valley Road, took Daisy, a nine-year old greyhound, out on her leash for a quick walk March 11. Pleasant Valley Road is in the center of nearby Clinton, near Chapman's Pond.
"It was 6:15am in the morning and still quite dark after Daylight Savings," said DeLaura.
She soon heard growling in the distance and became immediately alarmed, thinking it was a coyote. Before DeLaura could even head back to her front yard, two dogs came out of nowhere and viciously attacked Daisy.
"It was horrible," said DeLaura. "An absolute nightmare. They tore up her backside and tore a hole through her stomach."
Daisy has been under the care of a veterinarian for four days. She's expected to recover from her injuries which were extensive.
"The vet bills are now more than $2,000," said DeLaura.
DeLaura said that if not for the assistance of her daughter and a neighbor who heard her screams for help, she's afraid Daisy would have been mauled to death at the scene.
"This totally caught me off guard," she said. "I take long walks around the neighborhood all the time."
The dogs ran off when hit by sticks from the neighbor and daughter.
"I called the police. They came quickly and tried to locate the dogs," she said.
Patch spoke to Clinton Municipal Animal Control Officer (MACO) Donna Cavanaugh who said she's on the case. She first ran the descriptions of the two dogs through her dog licensing list, drove all over the Pleasant Valley Road area, and even "staked out" the exact area the next morning at 6:15am, the time Daisy was attacked.
"We have not been able to locate the dogs," said Cavanaugh.
The two dogs are described as:
1. A brown pit bull mix wearing a large red collar or red bandanna
2. A smaller black, short-hair mutt with possible white markings
Anyone with information on these dogs, their whereabouts and/or their owners, is urged to call the Clinton Police Department at 860-669-0451 and ask for MACO Donna Cavanaugh.
Cavanaugh said that if the dogs are found, she will impound them, research any past attacks, find out if they are up-to-date on their rabies shots, and order them restrained (via a muzzle) in public. The owners will receive two infractions: one on allowing a dog to roam (there is a leash ordinance in Clinton) and a second for creating a nuisance. Both incur fees.
"If they get loose again, the owners would have to go to court," said Cavanaugh.
For DeLaura, who along with her dog Daisy is extremely traumatized over the attack, said her concern now is for other dog owners, neighborhood kids, and others who could come in contact with these two dogs.
"I'm hoping someone will see them or knows who owns them and call the police," she said. "Who says these dogs wouldn't attack a little kid waiting for the school bus one morning?"
Anyone with information on these dogs, please call the Clinton Police Department at 860-669-0451.
